Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Ford  I was up there in a wet autumn about 5 years ago. IIRC the rutting was bad near Liddington Hill, between Wantage and Goring and at Chinnor.
Whilst we're on the subject of the Ridgeway, there are very long stretches where you have the track, bordered either side with inhospitable vegetation - eg nettles, and then the hawthorn hedges. There's nowhere where you can stop, sit down and have your sandwiches, or have a brew-up/cook. On the whole of the Ridgeway between Goring and The Sanctuary I don't think I saw one friendly log to sit on!
Jim |
a lot has changed in the last 5 years jim, you should visit again as i think you'd be pleasantly suprised - chinnor , which i agree used to resemble the third day of the somme has been resurfaced and as that bit is bridleway has been permanently closed to vehicles with steel barriers.
the liddington hill area (in particular the byway section from the aldbourne road to the county boundary) is due for a resurface this year, weather permitting , and also has an alternative path running parallel for most of the length from which vehicles are excluded.
Incidentally when i say resurfaced i mean with sympathetic local material - usually crushed chalk , as we are working towards a green sward - no one wants to turn it into the M4
You have a good point about benches but we are working on this - there is now one at liddington installed in 06 (in the grove of beech trees between liddington hill and snap), one at chinnor (between chinnor hill and wainhill installed last year) and we are about to install one at monkton down. - The problem is that at several hundred quid a throw we are more or less dependent on people donating them as memorials , and when that happens we cant always dictate where they get put.
That said my workshop volunteers are working on being able to make them from oak ourselves which will enable us to be more proactive about getting them out there